Driving mechanism for cycles with adjustable gearing



No. 6I|,2l0. Patenfed Sept. 20, I898.

I FRITZ HERMANN VAGT.

DRIVING MECHANISM FOR CYCLES WITH ADJUSTABLE GEABING.

(Application filed Nov. 5, 1896., 7 (No Model 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

No. 6II,2I0. Patented Sept. 20, I898.

' FRITZ "HERMANN VAGT. DRIVING MECHANISM FOR CYCLES WITH ADJUSTABLE HEARING.

(Application filed Nov. 5, 1896.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

I fnwrzior fiz ifzfirmam ms PETERS w. momma. wasumm'om u. c,

PATENT OFFICE.

FRITZ HERMANN VAGT, OF WANDSBECK, GERMANY.

DRIVING MECHANISM FOR CYCLES WITH ADJUSTABLE GEARING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 611,210, dated September 20, 1898. Application filed November 5,1896. Serial No. 611,167. (No model.) Patented in England October 9, 1896, No. 22,410.

To all whom it may concern..-

Be itknown that I, FRITZ HERMANN VAGT, machine-constructor, of 11 Ahrensburgerstrasse, Wands'beck,'near Hamburg, in the German Empire, have invented a .Driving Mechanism for Cycles with Adjustable Gearing, (for which Letters Patent have been ob tained in'Great Britain,-No. 22,410, dated Oc' tober 9,1'896,) of which the following is a specification,-reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to apparatus whereby the proportion or ratio of the driven gear connected with the'crank-shaft to the driven shows the apparatus detached from the ma-.

chine with the toothed driving-wheels in gear. Fig. 6 is a view of the-apparatus shown in Fig. 2, but as seen from the other side. Figs. 2 to 6, inclusive, are drawn to a larger scale than Fig. 1. Fig.7 shows the apparatus as seen in Fig. 2, but drawn to a still larger scale. Fig. Sis a sectional View takenthrough the center of Fig. 7. Fig. 9 is a view of the cover of the casing in which the wheelwork is inclosed, and Fig. 10 is a section of Fig. 9.

The chief feature of this invention consists in the arrangement of the toothed wheel a, Figs. 5, 6, and 8, which can be' moved into and out of gear with the toothed wheel b, fixed on the crank-shaft, so that when these two wheels are geared together the machine is driven at acomparatively slow speed; but when'they areout of gear the machine is driven at a quicker speed'by the direct action of the treadles.

Further features of the invention are the placing of the entire mechanism on the crankshaft,r-the special devices for putting the toothedwheels into and out of gear, and a special lever arrangement for effecting this putting in and out of gear of the wheels without requiring the rider to dismount.

The toothed wheel I) on the crank-shaft is contained in a box or case 0, Fig. 3', which has formed or'secured therein the internally toothed wheel a, Fig. 8, and which case is "closed in front by a cover d, Figs. 9 and 10.

The wheel a carries a crown-wheel a, Figs. 7 and 8, over which the driving-chain runs.

The cover 01 isiformed with a "circular openingin its center, through which passes the crank-shaft, the crank-arm e of which stands outside the case 0, while'the toothed wheel I), fixed on the crank-shaft, is contained within the case, Fig. 8. The back of the case 0 is also formed with a central opening, in which is fitted a disk f, Figs. 2, 7, and 8, which is connected to the frame of the .machine by means of a dovetail slide g and forms a fixed point around which the wheels a and a can rotate. This disk f is provided with a radial rotate on the disk 1 with the least possible friction. (See Figs. 7 and 8.) The whole casec and wheels at and a. can consequently turn round on the disk f when the wheel a is put into gear with the wheel I), as seen in Fig. 5, so that the machine is driven at the slower speed. When,,however, the wheela is put out of gear with the wheel I), a sliding bolt is on the crank-arm 6 takes into the notch 'i on the cover of the case, and the chainwheel' a, and'consequently the machine, is driven by the direct action of the crank-arm e at a quicker speed. The cover of the case of course affords sufficient room for the play of thetoothed wheels contained in it, and it can be removed to allow of cleaning the interior at any time. On the back of this cover is a notch or recess 2', into which a dovetailshaped slide or bolt is, Fig. 3, on the crankarm e can be pushed. This slide or bolt is subjected to the pressure of a spring Z, which presses it into the notch or recess 11. A small IOO The required change of proportion of the gearing-that is to say, the change of power and speed-is thus brought about by simply putting the slide 7t into or out of gear with the recess 1', which is eifected by raising or lowering the case a and wheels at a with reference to the crank-shaft.

The sliding part g, by which the disk f is connected to the frame of the machine, carries a bolt 71, Figs. 3 and 4, which takes into a slot in the lever 0, Figs. 2 to 5. This lever 0 is pivoted at one end to the rod 8 of the frame of the machine and is pin-jointed at its other end to a link-and-lever arrangement 13 19', Figs. 1, 2, and 6, by means of which, as shown in Fig. 1, the whole mechanism can be put into or out of gear by the rider when mounted on the saddle by simply moving the handle q without the necessity of his dismounting.

It is evident that an increased leverage of crank is obtained when the wheels at and b are in gear with'one another, because the axis of the crank-shaft does not then coincide with that of the chain-wheel and because the motion of the crank-shaft is then transmitted to the chain-wheel by reducing gearing, whereby power is gained and consequently an alteration of the speed is effected.

The whole apparatus must be so arranged with reference to the driving road-wheel and crank-shaft that the constant length of the driving-chain is not interfered with. This is, however, entirely a question of constructive detail.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. In a driving-gear for cycles, the combination with a gear-wheel I) fixed on the crankshaft, of an adjustable casing c inclosing said gear-wheel and carrying an internal gearwheel a, a sprocket-wheel a on the periphery of the casing, a cover (1 on the casing having a recess 6, means for adjusting the casing to throw said gear-wheels into and out of gear, a bolt 70 transversely movable in the pedalcrank, and a spring Z operating to force said bolt into the said recess when the gear-wheels are thrown out of gear, substantially as described.

2. In a driving-gear for cycles, the combination with a gear-wheel b fixed on the crankshaft of a centrally-apertured,adjustable casing 0 inclosing said gear-Wheel and carrying an internal gear-wheel a, a sprocket-wheel a on the periphery of the casing, a slotted link n pivoted to the cycle-frame, a sliding support g pivotally connected to said link and carrying a disk f disposed in the central aperture in the casing, antifriction -rollers r journaled in bearings on the casing and having a rolling bearing on the periphery of the disk, a lever connected with the link at for raising and lowering the casing to throw the gear-wheels into and out of gear, and means for automatically locking the pedal-crank and casing together when the gear-wheels are thrown out of gear,substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two witnesses.

FRITZ HERMANN VAGT.

Witnesses:

GUSTAV WELsE, ERNST BAUMHOF'F. 

